Even if a lockout doesn't happen - even if the dispute between owners and players is solved tomorrow - the labor unrest in the National Football League will have ramifications reaching well into the future - for video games.

The last roster update for Madden NFL 11 hits sometime tomorrow, boosting Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers to the coveted 99 OVR rating. This could be the roster Madden NFL 12 plays with if next season is interrupted by a lockout.

The New York Times examined the popularity of today's Super Bowl participants - the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers - in Madden NFL 11 online play. By years' end they were, unsurprisingly, among the most popular.

The cover of Madden NFL is the modern Wheaties box. Every sport has its video game and a cover athlete, but only Madden gets the bar-argument debate over who deserves the front. That begins tomorrow after the clock hits zero in Super Bowl XLV.

With a work stoppage in the National Football League increasingly likely, Electronic Arts has said that Madden NFL 12 will be published - but the company is assuming a lockout will wipe out the entire 2011-12 season.

Cancel the subs! Madden NFL 11 predicts that the Pittsburgh Steelers will win their record seventh Vince Lombardi Trophy, defeating the Green Bay Packers 24-20 in Super Bowl XLV, according to the annual EA SPORTS Super Bowl Simulation powered by Madden NFL 11. Six out of the last seven Super Bowl champions have been…

The folks at Madden NFL 11 put out a list of all plays run by all of its zillion-plus users so far, sorted by average gain. No. 2 is "Cougar Cross," which sounds like Rex Ryan's wife's best-selling video.

John Madden does not fly. So when EA Sports convened with the namesake of their NFL title, they went to him, in Pleasanton, Calif. The studio invited USA Today for a look at what was discussed and next year's priorities.

Hint: They're 3-8, have no hope of making the playoffs and fired their coach. But Tony Romo doesn't have a busted collarbone in cyberspace either, and the Dallas Cowboys are still the preferred side for thousands.

Last week, Madden NFL 11 slipped in a 3D presentation mode through a promotion with Doritos. It's the old-school red-and-blue 3D, and if it's not entirely free, it only costs a bag of chips. Is it worth even that?

Sunday, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan benched his quarterback late in a winnable game, claiming "cardiovascular issues" made him unsuited to a hurry-up offense. Most thought Shanahan was full of crap, but Madden NFL 11 took him at his word. Hilariously.

A day after Minnesota bailed on a four-game experiment with Randy Moss, Tennessee claimed the talented headcase from the waiver wire. The Titans have a bye, but Moss will suit up in Madden NFL 11 when the roster update hits Friday.

Last week's sponsorship with Verizon Wireless carries over to this week, meaning the three latest "Madden Moments Live" for Week Four of the NFL are free. Ordinarily they're redeemed with Madden Coins, earned in online play or purchasable outright.

Interestingly, the trade sending Randy Moss to Minnesota boosted the Vikings' overall rating in Madden NFL 11 without diminishing the New England Patriots'. Not that this is necessarily a zero-sum game, but what gives there?

A sponsorship with Verizon Wireless means the three latest "Madden Moments Live" for Week Four of the NFL are 100 percent free. Ordinarily they're redeemed with Madden Coins, which are earned in online play or purchasable outright.

The latest patch for Madden NFL 11 returns the scorebar pop-up ads last seen Madden NFL 10, but they don't display at the every-down frequency that annoyed so many when they rolled out midway through last year.

Randy Moss's superhuman grab in Week Two against the Jets - and lockdown cornerback Darrelle Revis - boosted his "spectacular catch" rating in Madden NFL 11 to 100, the first time since 2008 any player's hit that score.